Dear Matt I would beg you and indeed myself and all that we be careful somewhat in reading the noble Some Answered Questions.
Consider eg this noble passage from that peerless and priceless Book ***We have many times demonstrated and established that man is the noblest of beings, the sum of all perfections, and that all beings and all existences are the centers from which the glory of God is reflected - that is to say, the signs of the Divinity of God are apparent in the realities of things and of creatures. (`Abdu'l-Baha: Some Answered Questions, Page: 195) *** When you read this bearing in mind the original words of the Master We have many times demonstrated and established that man is the noblest of beings [**ashraf e "MUMKINAAT"**], the sum of all perfections, and that all beings [**jamee'e "KAAENAAT"**]and all existences [**wa "MAWJUUDAAT"*] are the centers from which the glory of God is reflected - that is to say, the signs of the Divinity of God are apparent in the realities of things [HAQAA'EQ E MAWJUUDAAT]and of creatures [WA JAMEE' KAAENAAT]. (`Abdu'l-Baha: Some Answered Questions, Page: 195) my humble point is that the original Persian uses words that are technically very precise and [although this servant is bereft of a comparative Arabic Philosophical Dictionary I will forward this to my beloved Vahid Brown and Tarjuman so that they can correspond with you] Thus MUMKIN is being but really I think it is contingent being being in the process of being... whereas KAA'EN is being that is it is already existent so to speak... [in the very commencement of Sura of the Sun Tafsir Baha'u'llah reveals that the MUMKIN belongs to the world of Ikhteraa' and Kaa'en belongs to the World of Ebdaa'. Again although both Ekhteraa' and Ebdaa' are translated as creation they are parts of different arcs of creation] My humble understanding so far is that Mawjuud= kaa'en [but I can be corrected...] My point being there is a sense in which MUMKIN is being but not quite attained existence whereas KAA'EN is being that has attained existence. I am sure my wonderful brother J Vahid Brown will help you more and other scholars on Tarjuman may help as well not knowing anything and not having a being less than a drop vis a vis the Billowing Waves of the Most Great Ocean of Baha'u'llah kf IN REPLY TO: ----- Original Message ----- From: MATTHEW MENGE To: Baha'i Studies Sent: 25 August 2003 05:25 Subject: beings and existents I am working on a paper/talk that deals in part with astronomy and geology and I was wondering what is the exact meaning of the word used when 'Abdu'l-Baha discusses "beings" in Some Answered Questions. For example: "This is why from every natural composition a *being* can come into existence, but from an accidental composition no *being* can come into existence." (SAQ, p.181) "Universal *beings* resemble and can be compared to particular *beings*, for both are subjected to one natural system, one universal law and divine organisation." (ibid. p.182) "In the same manner, it is evident that this terrestrial globe, having once found existence, grew and developed in the matrix of the universe, and came forth in different forms and conditions, until gradually it attained this present perfection, and became adorned with innumerable *beings*, and appeared as a finished organisation." (ibid. pps. 182-183) What piqued my interest in that in some of these cases (but not all) I have seen the word "being" alternatively translated as "existent". I am investigating the possibility that 'Abdu'l-Baha considered certain mineral creations in the universe to be in some sense "alive". Or to put it in another way, that He considered various manifestations of the mineral spirit to be "beings" or "creatures". Best Regards, Matt ---------- You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://list.jccc.net/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=bahai-st news://list.jccc.net/bahai-st http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist (public) http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] (public)
